NWPT Results Manual - Section 2

First Law – THE LAW OF POSSESSION. You need to understand that if you are going to achieve results, it is going to be up to you. The phrases “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me” or “If I think I can or think I can’t, I’m right,” ring very true. You have to take ultimate responsibility for success or failure. Sometimes clients believe their trainer is going to be the one who makes it happen for them. At Northwest Personal Training, we set them straight right away. All we can do is educate and guide. Our clients must be willing to make and stick to the changes. You cannot completely rely on someone else (like a personal trainer or workout partner) to make it happen for you and likewise, you cannot blame the kids or your partner for any failures.

Second Law – THE LAW OF EFFORT. Anything worth achieving is worth working for. Exercise and healthy eating take discipline, willpower, character, persistence, and a commitment to delayed gratification.

Third Law – THE LAW OF CONSISTENCY. A month-long effort is not going to get you where you want. In order to achieve any goal, you must stick to your game plan for the long-term. Getting off track for a week is no big deal if you are consistent in your efforts, but if you are regularly tempted away from your program, you will not succeed. Consistency and persistence are the keys to manifesting any goal. Remember that if you want to be healthy 10 years from now, it is not what you do over the next eight weeks that matters. It is what you do over the next 10 years! All the changes we will suggest must be followed for the rest of your life – so of course, we are going to make room for indulgences. The program has got to be realistic if you’re going to stick to it. There are no short-term, quick fix solutions. Researchers have found only one characteristic common to those who succeed with exercise. All such people move toward their goal one step at a time. They are committed to constant, never-ending improvement. In practical terms, it means that regardless of anything else – busy work schedules, lack of energy, lack of time, feeling old, feeling lazy, hating exercise – they make no excuses! They keep exercising, taking their long-term goals and splitting them up into smaller goals. They take it one day at a time.

Fourth Law – THE LAW OF SELF-EFFICACY. If you are already questioning whether you can actually make the required changes, you are going to have a difficult time with your program. You must believe you can do it! Think of self-esteem as a bank. Each time you keep a promise to yourself, the store of self-esteem gets bigger, making it easier to keep the next promise to yourself. It’s all about “Results Momentum” – achieving one result gives you the confidence to achieve the next goal. Each time a promise is broken, however, your self-esteem goes down, making it easier to break the next promise. Reinforce this belief in yourself by surrounding yourself with others who are doing or have accomplished what you’re attempting. After all, if they can do it, so can you! We have plenty of success stories at Northwest Personal Training to inspire you to Reach for your Best.

Readiness

We supply the following questionnaires to new clients to help us determine where they are on the readiness scale. If you score low, this may not be the best time for you to initiate major changes to your lifestyle. It does not mean, however, that you cannot begin the process. You can still start the program and work on developing healthy patterns, but you should have lower expectations of yourself. If you score moderately, expect a few struggles on route towards your goals. If you score high, this is the perfect time for you to begin taking action towards your goals. Note: If you have been adhering to a consistent exercise and nutrition program for six or more months, feel free to skip this assignment.

Readiness Questionnaire I

If you answered yes to all these questions, you are ready for action! If you said no to one or more of the questions, you might experience resistance as you begin to initiate many of the actions required to achieve your goals. It may be helpful for you to review what is really important to you and learn more about the negative effects of your current behavior and the benefits of change.

Readiness Questionnaire II

Score: 6-12: Low motivation 13-25: Moderate motivation 25+: High motivation

Internal Motivation

If you want to change something (your weight, your nutrition habits), you have got to change something! Makes sense, doesn’t it? But change is difficult. Most people attempt major changes in their life without setting up a framework for success. How can you get anywhere without a map or a game plan?

Finding the motivation and inspiration to adhere to the changes in your life day-in, day-out, is challenging. Many people have very good intentions and start an exercise or healthy nutrition program, but within a few months 70 percent of them have dropped out. When people quit, it’s because they can’t find a reason to keep going. Motivation boils down to being sick and tired of the situation you’re in now and associating pleasure with the situation you will be in once you achieve your goal. If you can associate enough displeasure with your present scenario and enough excitement towards achieving your goals, you’ll pinpoint your personal motivation for exercise and healthy eating and find it much easier to stick with the program.

Note: If you have been adhering to a consistent exercise and nutrition program for six or more months, feel free to skip this assignment.

Write down all the reasons you’re not satisfied with your present situation. Write down what will happen if you don’t make some changes to your lifestyle.

For example, none of your clothes fit, you have no energy, your blood pressure has risen, you can’t sit comfortably in chairs, your back hurts, your joints ache, you don’t feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit, you keep gaining weight every year, your cholesterol is getting out of control…

Write down all the reasons you want to achieve your goals. Write down how your life will be better.

For example, you’ll be able to wear whatever you want, your energy will improve, your blood pressure will drop, you’ll feel comfortable in any environment, you’ll be more productive at work, you’ll feel more self-confident, you’ll lower your risk for developing heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you’ll have enough energy to go hiking, play with your kids/grandkids….

Fitness Wish List

On a piece of paper or within a journal, write down all the fitness goals you would like to achieve. This is your personal fitness wish list. Write down anything you have ever thought of achieving with regards to your own individual health and fitness. Which goal, if you achieved it, would make this year unbelievable? Have you ever wanted to hike the Grand Canyon, complete a marathon or triathlon, cycle through Italy, learn to Scuba Dive, paddleboard or rock-climb, cycle the Oregon coast, or would you just be happy with working out 4x/week consistently? What are your health and fitness wishes? The only rule with this wish list is that none of your goals can be related to your body size, shape, or weight. Stay away from listing a goal such as losing 10 pounds or 4 inches off your hips. Let’s keep this list positive, action-oriented, and focused away from body image.

Many people take this approach – “As soon as I get fit, then I’ll start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do.” We take the opposite approach. Let’s set the goal and in the process of training for the event or activity you’ve always wanted to do, then you will get in great shape! It puts purpose to your workouts and it’s such a positive, motivating focus. For example, let’s say you set a goal of finishing a 5km fun run. Setting this kind of goal, because it has a deadline, provides a compelling reason to stick to the program and not miss workouts. In contrast, if the goal is to lose 10 pounds in 2 months, if someone gets off track, they can negotiate with themselves and say, “Well, I guess I can wait an additional week or two to achieve my goals.” But if they get off track with their training program while preparing for an event, they can’t call the event organizer and ask them to postpone the event because they aren’t going to be ready. Every workout or skipped workout will either positively or negatively affect your performance and your ability to achieve your goal. In addition, once you cross the finish line, that’s something no one can ever take away from you. You will always have your medal, t-shirt, and photos crossing the finish line. Whereas, with weight loss, someone could lose the weight and then gain it all back next month and feel like a failure. Plus, there is a lot of status associated with conquering a tough challenge or finishing an event, so a person’s self-esteem receives a huge boost providing them with the belief that they can achieve the next goal. We have also found when someone succeeds at a goal such as this, they then inherently look towards the next goal – it’s just human nature. So, after a 5K, they may decide to attempt a 10K, half marathon, full marathon, a challenging hike, triathlon, etc. It’s a positive spiral. Whereas, with weight loss, it’s often a negative spiral. They lose the 10-pounds, but they are still not happy. They then desire to lose another 5 pounds and get rid of this fat and so on. Some people who have the most ‘perfect’ bodies are those that struggle with their body image the most! For all these reasons, we try to keep the focus away from Body Image and instead focus on behaviors, events and actions. Here’s some ideas that are not body-image focused:

1. Strength train 3x/week.
2. Get 5,000-10,000 steps per day.
3. Take a Yoga and/or Barre class 2x/week.
4. Add a balance movement every day.
5. Take up indoor rock-climbing.
6. Register for a fun run/walk.
7. Drink 80 ounces of water per day.
8. Do a triathlon, even if it’s a relay with friends, family or co-workers.
9. Get a massage once per month.
10. Consume half of your body weight in grams of protein every day.
11. Schedule a walk with a friend, family or co-worker weekly.
12. Be able to plank for 1 minute.
13. Hire a trainer to oversee your fitness program.
14. Sign up for a new class.
15. Be able to do 10 full or assisted pull-ups.
16. Eat a vegetable at every meal.
17. Commit to a Dry/Sober month or reduce your alcohol to a couple days/week.
18. Be able to do 10 pushups (on toes or knees).
19. Meditate or deep breathing for 1 minute per day
20. Set a timer on your laptop to stand and move every hour.
21. Be able to get off the floor without using your hands.
22. Try to fast for 13 consecutive hours per day.
23. Establish a sleep routine that has you in bed for 7-8 hours/night with no interruptions.
24. Hike Mt. St. Helen’s or a hike you’ve never climbed.
25. Learn to Paddleboard or a new activity.

SMART Goal Setting

Setting realistic goals is the key to success. It is not enough to say, “I want to get into shape”. Effective and realistic goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward-based and have a Time frame. All your goals must be clear, easy to measure, and have a deadline. But don’t stop there. Successful goal setting requires two more things. Be prepared to reassess and reevaluate your goals on a regular basis and reward yourself once you have achieved a goal. For example, treat yourself to a massage, a new outfit or a trip. Then set your sights on the next goal.

Sometimes, when starting an exercise or nutrition program, we can get overzealous and decide to change a million things all at once. It soon becomes clear that you have taken on too much and it becomes almost impossible to succeed at anything. To avoid this, you need to determine what is most important to you and focus on these areas first.

Finally, if you are undertaking a major lifestyle change, the big picture may be a bit overwhelming. Take the big goal and split it into small, easily achievable goals. This is realistic. It will help you succeed on a regular basis and that will give you the momentum you need to reach the ultimate goal. Behavioral change research is now discovering that it’s far better for most people to set smaller goals that are more easily achievable. Those who follow this approach are more likely to stick with their exercise goals. If you do more, it’s a bonus!

Record your top one to two goals and break them down into smaller goals and action steps.

SMART Goal #1 =

• Action Step #1
• Action Step #2
• Action Step #3
• Action Step #4
• Action Step #5

SMART Goal #2 =

• Action Step #1
• Action Step #2
• Action Step #3
• Action Step #4
• Action Step #5

Obstacles and Strategies

What went wrong last time? You have most likely tried to stick to an exercise program before. Most people have. They try over and over again. Something like a New Year’s resolution, summer, a wedding or a reunion motivates them to try again. Eventually, they fail because they basically mimic exactly what they did last time. This represents the definition for insanity – doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different result. Whatever forced you off track last time will more than likely surface again.

This time, things are going to be different. This time you are going to be prepared. We are going to develop a strategy for overcoming roadblocks posed by work, kids, fatigue, or lack of time. We are going to determine how you are going to balance it all.

Outline any obstacles that have surfaced in the past or that you expect will surface in the future. Once you have outlined the potential obstacles, then you can determine your strategies for overcoming them. You will be prepared – no surprises!

Plus, we are here to help you get past those obstacles! Note: If you have been adhering to a consistent exercise and nutrition program for six or more months, you can skip this assignment (unless you need to strategize for any upcoming obstacles).

(you may find it necessary to outline numerous. strategies for any potential obstacle)

Missing a Workout is much more than just Missing a Workout

Consider how much discipline it takes to work out three to five days a week. Think about how hard it is to keep stretching beyond our comfort zones and how challenging it is to exercise at high intensities. Consider the self resolve required to eat healthy foods and drink lots of water every day when temptations surround us everywhere we go. But if you have the courage to respect your body – the temple that houses your mind and spirit – personal mastery will not be far away. It says a lot about who you are as a person when you invest the time to take care of yourself. It says you respect and love yourself enough to do the things necessary for you to be at your personal best. Each time you get into the gym for a workout on a day when you just don’t feel like exercising, you grow a little stronger as a human being. Each time you go for a run or walk on a cold winter’s day when you just feel like staying under the warm, cozy covers, you strengthen your character. When you endure a tough workout, it enables you to persevere through any other challenge in your life. Working on improving your physical conditioning will not only enrich your life and make you a better person, you’ll also become a better parent, a better spouse, a better and more productive worker, and a better friend.

Exercising regularly, eating well and taking the time to relax and nourish your body will make you feel happier. It will provide you with more energy than you have ever known. It will give you greater stamina and mental toughness and make you a clearer, stronger thinker. It will make you more patient and loving. There are 168 hours in a week. Surely each and every one of us, regardless of our hectic schedules, can carve out three to five of them to care for our bodies and work on mastering our physical state.

You must remember that a missed workout is much more than just a missed workout! When you miss a workout, you don’t just stay at the same level you were at – you actually take a few steps back. Every time you miss a workout, you have done something to strengthen the habit of not working out. When you’ve made the promise to yourself to exercise so many times per week and then you break that promise, you start to lose trust in yourself. With each missed workout, you start to lose self-confidence and begin to question whether you can stick with it at all. A missed workout fuels self-doubt and makes that negative habit stronger. Miss enough workouts, and eventually that negative habit of not working out will replace the positive habit of exercising that you have worked so hard to cultivate. Every time you fail to do the right thing, you fuel the habit of doing the wrong thing. So, the next time you’re trying to justify pressing the snooze button and skipping your workout or working through lunch instead of taking a walk break or heading right home after work instead of stopping at the gym, just don’t do it. Don’t even think about it. Don’t even allow yourself the opportunity to talk yourself out of doing what you know you need to do to be at your best. Just remember that you’ll feel like a million bucks once you’re done. The real challenge for most people is not the workout itself but overcoming the negative thoughts that try to sabotage very good intentions.

“The greatest irony of our physical life is that when we are young, we are willing to sacrifice every bit of our health for wealth, and when we grow old, we are willing to sacrifice so much of our wealth for just one day of health.”

Don’t let this happen to you. The little things in life are actually the big things and the quality of success that you will experience in your life ultimately depends upon the tiny choices you make every minute of every hour of every day. It’s the small daily acts and habits that define how big we end up living.

Looking Good, Feeling Great & Living Life to the Fullest!

Adapted from Robin Sharma’s ‘Family Wisdom’ plus a little bit of our own wisdom.

Overcoming Excuses

Starting and sticking to an exercise or nutrition program takes a lot of discipline. Here are the most common stumbling blocks to exercise and healthy eating that you may experience and healthy ways to overcome them. Sometimes, even when we have good intentions and want to do the right thing, it can slip us up if we have the wrong attitude about it. Do you see yourself in any of the following scenarios?

Note: If you have been adhering to a consistent exercise and nutrition program for six or more months, feel free to skip to the next section.

I don’t have enough time. If you have trouble finding time to exercise, you are not alone. A perceived lack of time is one of the most common excuses for not starting or for quitting an exercise program. But it really does not wash. We have clients who manage large businesses, clients with 6-8 children and clients who seem to do it all. How do they do it? They make health and fitness a priority in their life. When life gets rough, exercise is usually the first thing to go when, in fact, it should be the last. Exercise is the glue to mental sanity when life becomes chaotic.

Somehow, when others need you, your needs tend to end up on the back burner. Someone at work asks you to complete a project, your spouse needs your attention, the kids need some quality time, your friends are asking you why you have not called, and you have a to-do list that extends well into the next 6 months. You can see how easy it is to convince yourself that the morning workout can wait until lunch and then until after dinner, or maybe tomorrow and finally, “I’ll get back on track next month!” Commitments, responsibilities and the demands of work, family, and social life are always going to be there. When you allow yourself to put your own needs second to everything and everyone else, you will end up the loser.

Research, in fact, shows that people who exercise are more productive at whatever they are doing. Translation: You will be able to do more when you are in good shape. As for believing exercise is a huge time commitment, even 10-30 minutes a day, if done consistently, can result in health benefits.

Make an appointment with yourself, just as you would for your doctor or dentist or a meeting with your boss. That way, when someone asks if you can meet at 5 o’clock, you can honestly say, “Sorry, I’ve got an appointment. How about at 4:00?” Scheduling fitness into your life is why personal trainers have become so popular. Now you are accountable to your trainer as well as yourself.

Stop putting it off! “I’ll start exercising right after New Year’s…in the spring…right after I’m finished with this huge project…once the kids get older…once the kids leave home…after I’ve retired.” Now is the time to start because there will always be things competing for your time. You can choose to make exercise a priority in your life now or wait until you’re forced to make it a priority. People who cannot find the time to exercise are often forced to find the time for illness. We take our health for granted until we get sick. People who swear they do not have a minute to exercise, then find themselves hospitalized for bypass surgery and out of commission for weeks, soon recognize that the extra time taken to exercise would have been well worth it! The message is clear. Unless you take care of yourself now, one day you may find yourself unable to take care of your business, family, or any of your other interests.

Another helpful strategy for overcoming the time obstacle is to sit down and record how you spend your time in a typical day. Then go through the list and identify any time wasters. It could be the television or computer or perhaps there are constant interruptions at work. Now determine how you could eliminate some of these time wasters. For example, at work, make it known that from 10:00 until noon you are not to be interrupted so you can focus on some important projects. You will find that you do have time to exercise – you just need to restructure your schedule to make sure you have time for the important things in life.

I have no energy: Those who exercise regularly know from experience that exercise actually leaves you with more energy! Some helpful strategies for overcoming this obstacle are to schedule exercise when you are less likely to feel exhausted from a long day at work or with the kids. Get up 45 minutes earlier than everyone else and go for a walk. It will start your day off on a positive note. Keep your fitness gear in the car so that on the way home you can stop at the gym for your workout. If you go home first, the couch and TV may be too tempting after a long day at work. If you do find yourself skipping out on your workouts because you’ve got no energy, schedule in with a trainer or a friend. Whether you are tired or not, you still have to be there because they are waiting for you.

I’m too old to start exercising: No, you are too old not to exercise! A 30-year-old sedentary individual will suffer from a 10 percent decrease in muscle mass and aerobic capacity and a reduction in flexibility each decade. Bone density deterioration starts at age 35. By the time you are 68, you will have experienced an 80 percent decrease in strength. By age 80, an individual will have lost half of their muscle mass. The good news is that if you exercise, these statistics will improve dramatically. Even people as old as 90 have experienced the positive benefits of exercise, so it is never too late to get started. It doesn’t have to be intense, but you do need to start doing something!

I hate exercise: In the beginning, exercise may feel like a chore, but eventually it will become a physical and mental health need. It is important to find activities you enjoy doing so that you will participate in them regularly, see the results, and get hooked. Use music, try hiking or walking, and add variety to your program to make it more fun. Exercise with friends. Studies show you tend to achieve better results that way because it will become more difficult to skip workouts. There is also no evidence to suggest that exercise needs to be painful. If it hurts that much, you may be doing too much, too soon. While exercising, you may feel some discomfort, muscular fatigue, or a burning sensation near the end of a set or an exercise bout. These feelings are normal. However, while performing an exercise, you should not feel sharp pain. This is not normal, and you should stop the exercise immediately and consult a sports physician or physiotherapist. All of us have experienced muscle soreness after a new activity or highly intense workout. Remember the feeling after your first day of skiing, first group class, or the first run of the summer? This sensation is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness because it usually takes one to three days after the workout for the stiffness to surface. Many participants rate the effectiveness of a workout by how sore they are afterwards, but it you are training appropriately, there is no need to be that sore. It is okay to think “Hey, my muscles feel like they had a great workout yesterday.” However, if you have a problem getting out of a chair, walking, or even just moving, you are training too hard – and not very sensibly. To reduce the likelihood of extreme muscle soreness from training sessions, always warm up, cool down, and progress slowly. Once you have established a consistent exercise routine, there are no extra health benefits from pushing yourself to be extremely sore. Remember – pain is a warning signal that your body has done too much, too soon. When you experience extreme muscle soreness or pain, back off on the intensity of your program and progress more slowly. “No pain, no gain” is a myth. Pain is not necessary to improve your fitness and get results. Research indicates that exercisers who stick with their fitness routine for the long-term, don’t make it so hard that they dread the process and hate doing it. Remember that if you enjoy your workouts, you will be more likely to do them consistently and consistency is what promises sustainable results!

I’m too out of shape to exercise: One survey found the top reason why people choose not to join a gym is because they want to get into better shape or lose weight first. This backwards approach may never get you to your goals! At Northwest Personal Training, we have worked hard to create an environment that is friendly, non-intimidating and comfortable. We’ll get you through these initial awkward feelings.

The gym scene is not my thing: Sorry, this will not wash. There are literally hundreds of things you can do at home to get in shape. We can come to your house and design a customized program for you or we can train you online with our virtual private training options or virtual classes.

My knees hurt so I can’t exercise: The health benefits of exercise often outweigh the risks. Certain conditions may make exercise more difficult, but you can work around most problems. We will work with your physician, physical therapist or health practitioner to design a program to strengthen your weaknesses. Plus, if you do have knee problems, there is no reason why you can’t work on your upper body and core while you rehabilitate your knees.

I can’t see any results: One of the biggest hurdles new exercisers face is that the effort often does not match the result. They have been exercising religiously for five weeks and jump up on the scale. Ugh, no change! They feel the program must not be working and give up. Unrealistic expectations can be a real downer. Avoid measuring your success just by the scale. Instead measure the improvement to your energy levels, monitor how many more reps you can do of a particular exercise or keep track of how many more minutes you can do of a given activity. You are most likely making more progress than you think and some of those critical changes are internal and not often visible to the naked eye!

All or Nothing: You are scheduled for a 90-minute workout but something comes up and you cannot get to the gym for the allocated time. You scrap the workout and decide you will try to fit it in tomorrow. You have decided to eat healthier but one day you slip a bit at lunch and have a chocolate bar. You decide that since you have already failed for the day, you might as well throw in the towel and indulge in a few cookies, a bowl of ice cream, and a bag of chips. Tomorrow is another day. Can you see how this “all or nothing” approach works against you? Wouldn’t a 30-minute workout have been better than no exercise as all? Wouldn’t a single chocolate bar have been better than an all-out binge? Sometimes, striving for perfection is what leads to failure. If you were supposed to go to a bootcamp class, but your girlfriend calls and asks you to go on a hike and you’d rather do that, go for it! If you’re scheduled for a long run but you’re just not feeling it and Yoga sounds better, then opt for that. As long as your new plan still falls inline with your fitness goals, having options is a healthy approach to working out for the long-term.The trick in trying to stick to a long-term plan is to learn to compromise. When it comes to nutrition, for example, focus on the 80/20 rule – 80 percent of the time you eat really well and 20 percent of the time you indulge a little. When it comes to exercise, remember that any activity is better than nothing. A rigid approach to your routine doesn’t work for most people and causes many to stumble and quit.

Let’s Go Back Home: Imagine this scenario. You have scheduled a two-week vacation and have decided to drive to your favorite holiday destination. You get halfway there, get a flat tire and turn around and go back home. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But this is exactly what happens when most people start exercise or nutrition programs. They are on their way to their goals and they slip up. Instead of “fixing the flat” and continuing toward their goal, they give up and return to old habits and patterns. We know that 70 percent of people who start an exercise program drop out within a matter of months, and most people who lose 10 pounds gain them back. So how do you avoid these setbacks? It is important to accept that there are going to be obstacles, challenges or perceived failures along the way to any goal. No one is perfect! Those who succeed learn from the challenge and get right back on track.

Another great analogy is to imagine that you accidentally run a red light. So does that mean you’re going to drive around town running red lights all day long?! Of course not! You made a mistake and you’ll try harder not to do it again. It’s the same with health and fitness. One mistake is no big deal. Learn from it. Get over it and move on!

The Here and Now: So many of us fall prey to the lure of immediate gratification. The chocolate cake staring us in the face is too great a temptation compared to future weight loss. We would rather experience the pleasure now and worry about the consequences later. A binge today simply means tomorrow we will eat better or we will work out twice as long or hard. There is always a way to justify a lack of discipline. Discipline and willpower are perceived as deprivation – we are sacrificing or losing something. But if you can imagine that each time you work out, stick to a nutritional plan or decide not to indulge in a less-healthy choice, you are actually giving yourself something – spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Your body deserves to be treated well. You deserve to eat well and exercise regularly. Many athletes think of their body as a temple and so should you. Think of that the next time you notice yourself grabbing for a piece of cake a little too often. Push it away and think of it as actually giving something to yourself rather than taking something away. Remember, you are worth it!

The Power of your Mind

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought. They can have a powerful influence for good when they’re on the positive side, and they can and do make you physically ill when they’re on the negative side.”  Peace Pilgrim

They say if you want to change your body, change your mind first. If you can reset your thoughts, you can transform your life.

Many people start a health and fitness program with solid and positive intentions but shortly after, sabotage their own efforts without even realizing. Everyone knows how important exercising and eating healthy is to overall health, and yet a very small percentage of people do it so where’s the disconnect? The reality is that many people consistently talk themselves out of doing something that they know they should do because there will be a challenge. It will require them to step out of their comfort zone, to work hard or do something they aren’t good at. That tiny voice that exists in all of us can sideline our efforts.

So the next time you hear that little voice inside your head saying “If I miss this workout, it’s no big deal”, “I can always start tomorrow”, “I don’t feel like doing it – I’d rather just sit here and watch TV”, or “This one piece of cheese cake is not going to make that much of a difference”, stop your thoughts and try rephrasing them. Whenever you find yourself succumbing to negative self-talk that will take you away from achieving your goals, try this type of positive self-talk instead. Do whatever you can to convince yourself to just do what you know you need to do!

“Once I’m done this workout, I’m going to feel so great.  Remember the last workout.  I felt so amazing when I was done.  I’ll just get started.  I won’t think about it.  I’ll just do it and once I get going, I know I’ll feel much better!”

“I don’t really feel like working out. Everyone feels like that at some point, but those who achieve their goals do it anyways. Anything worth achieving is worth working for. The commitment, discipline and consistency is what is going to transform my body and change my life!”

“I really want to start today.  If I keep putting it off, I’m never going to reach my goals.  Let me just start and even if I just do a few minutes, something is better than nothing.”

“I can’t workout because I’m so exhausted. Wait, that’s not true. The last time I was really tired, I worked out anyways and I felt so much better afterwards. In fact, I’m so tired that I actually need to move my body to feel more energized.”

“Watching TV is not going to help me accomplish my goal.  I’m going to shut off the TV, start my workout and then when I’m done, I’ll watch some TV as a reward for my efforts.”

“If I eat this piece of cheesecake right now it means that instead of my body using up my fat for energy, instead it’s going to be storing more fat on my body.  I don’t really need the cheesecake.  I’m really not even that hungry.  Let me drink a full glass of water and wait 10 minutes.  Then if I still want the cheesecake I’ll share a piece with my friend.”

How does our mind sabotage our fat loss efforts? Let’s say your goal is fat loss and you make a conscious decision to reduce your caloric intake. As a result, you typically feel deprivation. This will often result in feelings of anger as you question why others can eat ice cream and chocolate and not struggle with their weight. Your willpower slowly dwindles and inevitably you give in to one of our temptations. You feel like a failure and decide, since you’ve already screwed up, you might as well “go for the gusto” and binge out on all your favorites. Afterwards, you feel out of control and guilty for your actions. You feel hopeless and desperate and turn to food for comfort. This just fuels your insecurities and low self-esteem as you start to believe you are fat, ugly and a loser. You decide the only way to feel better is to lose weight and the cycle starts again!

Part of initiating a fitness and health program is understanding the psychology of our behaviors and actions. A strong body requires a strong mind so focus first on getting your thoughts pointed in the direction of your goals, and it will make achieving them so much easier!

Methods for overcoming negative or irrational thinking:

“Energy follows thought.  You actually become what you think.”  Lynne Namka

There are a lot of things we can do to gain control of our actions. One aspect of gaining control is understanding the role of negative and irrational thinking. We are often our own worst critics and can be very hard on ourselves.

We cannot take our thoughts lightly because they can directly affect our biology, our feelings, actions and our progress. There are things that we can do immediately to overcome or control negative or irrational thinking. Here are some tips.

1. Listen to your thoughts at the times when you feel worst.
2. Listen for irrational/negative thinking. Examples might be:
   • I missed my workout.  The whole day is ruined.  Why can’t I ever stick to anything?
   • Since I pigged out at lunch, I might as eat what I want for the rest of the day and start all over again tomorrow!
   • Things always go wrong!  I am such a failure!
   • I might have lost 10-pounds but I cannot go to the beach until my body is ‘perfect’!
   • I will be happy once I lose the weight!
   • My thighs are the biggest I have ever seen!
   • Why do I have such little willpower?
   • Why couldn’t I just have been born with a perfect body?
   • I have got to lose 20 pounds within a month to get ready for my vacation or my holidays will be ruined!
   • These things always happen to me!
   • I will always be like this!
   • I can’t seem to do anything right!
3. Dispute these thoughts by asking “Why is this so?” “Where is this negativity coming from?” and “Could there be another possible explanation or interpretation?” For example, replace negative thoughts with empowering ones such as this:

• I’ve reached an expected plateau. That’s a good sign. My body is adjusting to the positive changes I’ve made. I’ll make some changes to my program to stimulate further progress.
• As long as I continue working out, I’ll achieve the goals I have set for myself. I’ll take consistent action steps every day.
• No matter what happens, I’ll stay the course. If I do what is required, I will succeed.
• Quitting will get me nowhere. I’ll analyze my schedule and make exercise a protected priority.
• I feel great. I know I’m not at my goal yet but I’ve lost 20 pounds and increased my fitness level.
• I’ll stick to my program, a day at a time. Whatever benefits I achieve will be a positive.
• I am learning to love my body, and I love how I feel and look.
• The fitter I get, the more fun I have, and the more activities I can participate in.  Life is more fun than ever.

• Call yourself a runner, a dancer, a body builder, a health enthusiast…something with a winning identity. Never think or call yourself a loser or failure.

4. Imagine repeating what you have said to a close friend or child. We could never imagine talking to others as we often talk to ourselves. The next time you catch yourself thinking irrationally or negatively, ask yourself if you would ever speak this way to another human being. You deserve the same type of respect you would give anybody else! Remind yourself that if you continually practice negative self-talk, eventually, you may actually start to believe your own words. Your self-esteem can end up taking a real beating.
5. Displace continuing irrational beliefs by techniques of:

• Thought stopping. When worrying, instantly think of a stop sign and then focus on pleasant thoughts.
• Stress management. When worrying, participate in your favorite relaxation techniques like massage, reading, baths, journal writing, etc.
• Thought reversal. Have positive messages or quotes posted around your work or home environment to help you put things into perspective.

6. Learn to live in the moment and to experience true joy in your life. Stop worrying about the past or the future. Most people have a very difficult time living in the now. Try this easy drill. Shut your eyes.  Listen and try to identify all the sounds around you. Smell for different scents. Open your eyes and really look around you. Observe all the different colors and objects. The next time you eat, try to eat slowly and taste every single bite. Quick drills like this will help you to develop your skills of living in the moment.
7. Each night before you fall asleep, make a mental note of what was the best part of your day or of something that you experienced that you really appreciated or enjoyed. By doing this, you will learn to look for the good things in life.
8. Live today! Self-hatred takes a lot of time and energy. Obsessing about your body weight, nutrition plan and exercise program leaves you tired and depressed. Deciding to not enjoy the here-and-now because you have decided to wait until you achieve your goals will leave you feeling deprived and will often lead to more negative feelings and behaviors. Remember that thin thighs, a small butt and a 6-pack set of abdominals is not the ticket to a meaningful existence. Fill your life with interesting experiences and people and you will enjoy a much higher quality of life.

Breaking Old Habits:

As humans, we are creatures of habit, and often do things not because we need to but rather because it is just the way we have always done them.

Some common examples are:

• Eating during commercials
• Always purchasing food at the movies
• Eating while studying
• Drinking wine with friends
• Always over-eating at parties
• Snacking while making dinner
• Eating poorly when you are with friends
• Always eating the same amount of food regardless of your hunger level
• Stopping for an ice-cream or treat on your way home from a weekend destination regardless of your hunger level

The movies just would not be the same without popcorn!  This is a habit and often, people will find themselves ordering popcorn even though they have just had dinner and are feeling quite full. Another example would be the mid-way rest-stop when coming home from the cottage or a weekend ski-trip. People will get into the habit of stopping for a Dairy Queen Blizzard or one of their other favorite treats regardless of their hunger level. Students will often get into the habit of eating while studying for exams.

The first step to getting control of these nutritional habits is to become aware of your patterns. Logging your daily exercise and nutrition will allow you to track your behaviors and will make patterns and habits very obvious. Once you discover what actually stimulates your less-than-healthy behavior, you have the choice of either changing the stimulus or situation or changing your response to the stimulus or situation.

Here are the action steps you can take to overcoming habitual patterns.

Step one:  Recognize what stimulates the unhealthy action. Become aware of the habit. Monitor what you eat, when you eat, who you are with and how you felt.

Step two:  Change the stimulus

or

Step three:  Change the response

For example:

Unhealthy behavior: Whenever I am depressed, I eat junk food.

Change Stimulus: Try not to get overly depressed, instead examine whether there could be any positive outcomes from the depressing situation.  Try to develop the skills to become optimistic.

Change Response: When you get depressed, watch a funny movie or call a best friend or go for a long walk.

Unhealthy behavior: Whenever I go out with Patti, we always drink too much and eat terribly.

Change Stimulus: When you go out with Patti, bring along another friend who may be a better influence.

Change Response: You and Patti make a healthy dinner at home and then go out dancing both agreeing that you will drink 2 glasses of water for every beer or alcoholic drink.

Unhealthy behavior: Every Friday night, friends come over to watch a movie and I always eat too much pizza.

Change Stimulus: Instead of watching a movie, schedule a hike or a walk with your friends.

Change Response: Order Japanese food instead of pizza.

Unhealthy behavior: Every time I eat ice cream, I always order a double scoop.

Change Stimulus: Instead of ordering ice cream, order a fruit salad.

Change Response: Order 1 scoop of ice cream instead of 2.

Unhealthy behavior: I always eat 2 sandwiches at lunch.

Change Stimulus: Bring a bowl of chili to lunch.

Change Response: Eat 1 sandwich and a small salad.

Unhealthy behavior: I always go to the cafeteria and buy 2 chocolate chip cookies for my mid-afternoon break.

Change Stimulus: Take a short walk on your break instead.

Change Response: Bring a few fig newtons to work for your break.

Balance is Key – Avoid Perfectionism

Just like in Yoga, there is a Yin and a Yang to life. Sometimes in a Yoga class, you are holding a very challenging pose, and other times, you are in a completely relaxed and rested state. Each is equally important. The poses where our bodies are still and we try to quiet our minds are just as important as the poses when the muscles in our entire bodies are working to stabilize, balance and lengthen. The challenging poses benefit our physical bodies, but the recovery poses benefit our mental and emotional health. Likewise, in life, sometimes we push hard and challenge ourselves, and other times, it’s ok to relax and let loose and not be so strict. When we strive for ‘perfection’ that can lead to shame, guilt and a sense of failure which can stumble us on our journey to long-term, optimal health and fitness.

Here are some examples of how you might strive for balance in your life that will promote long-term health and fitness:

• You take a HIT (high intensity training) class one day and Barre the next.
• You lift weights throughout the week but hike the forests on the weekend.
• You dance on Saturday night but then take a yoga class Sunday morning.
• You workout hard one day, then do nothing but relax and recover the next.
• You are scheduled for a Bootcamp class, but you decide you would benefit more from a sauna and hot tub today.
• Sometimes you workout for a long time, and other days you just move your body for 10 minutes.
• You eat chocolate when you’re really craving it but eat kale salad when your body needs it.
• You drink green juice to benefit your gut, but sometimes, you drink a glass or two of wine because you enjoy the social component (unless you know that having 1 glass of wine doesn’t benefit you at all!)
• You might dress fancy one night and walk barefoot in the sand the next day.
• You might socialize with strangers one day at a charity event, then find comfort in solo time the next.
• Sometimes you move, and sometimes you’re still and strive for silence.
• Sometimes you go fast, and sometimes you go slow.
• Sometimes the most important thing for you to do is to take a walk along the waterfront or on the trails and enjoy the views.
• Sometimes spending time with friends or family is more important than getting to the gym.
• Sometimes spending time with your gym buddies is more important than staying home.
• Sometimes you get up early to get your workout in, and sometimes you sleep in because the rest is more important to your overall health.

When you are striving for long-term, optimal health, you are faced with decisions throughout every day. You have to ask yourself ‘What will serve me best?’, ‘What will bring me the greatest joy in the moment?’ and ‘What best aligns with my overall health and fitness plan?’

Sometimes the decision to do what would be considered the ‘perfect’ decision in terms of health and fitness, isn’t actually the best decision to serve you for the long-term. Be flexible and think of the big picture!

10 Tips to Stay on Track

When you start a health and fitness program, everyone has the intention of sticking with it. Often though, motivation fades, boredom may set in, and time constraints make it easy to quit. If you feel yourself getting off track, remind yourself that your health is very important, and try a few of these tips to help adhere to your goals. Consider printing this quick list as a reminder when you need a boost of motivation.

1. Set an appointment – Schedule a workout with a friend, co-worker or trainer that you are forced to commit to. This can help you re-set and pickup right where you left off.
2. Buy some new workout clothes or shoes – Sometimes just getting some new workout gear or a new pair of running shoes can make you more excited to get your workout in.
3. Set a reward – Establish a behavior or action that you want to commit to and a reward for making it. For example, tell yourself if you work out five times this week, you’ll schedule a massage or if you stick to your nutrition plan all week, you’ll buy tickets to that show that you really want to see. Extrinsic rewards can be helpful to get you over any humps you may be experiencing.
4. Journal – Write down the benefits you hope to achieve by sticking to your program. Reflect on your ‘WHY’. Write down your progress so far. Taking the time to remind yourself why you have committed to your health and fitness and the benefits you’ve experienced thus far can be helpful to keep you on track.
5. Watch Motivational Clips – Podcasts, YouTube and TikTok are full of motivational clips that can get you fired up to reach for your best.
6. Do something new – Take a new class. Hire a trainer to design a new program for you to follow. Try a new piece of fitness equipment. Get outside. Find a new trail to walk, run or bike. Trying something you’ve never done before can help eliminate the boredom that can creep in when you’re doing the same thing all the time.
7. Music motivates – When you’re not feeling it, put on some energetic music that motivates you to move and take action.
8. Give yourself a short-term, easy goal – Sometimes we need to give ourselves a goal that is easy to hit, something to commit to within the next 24 hours, just to get us back on track. It could be as simple as walking around the block after dinner, eating a salad for lunch, filling your water bottle to take to work or doing 10 pushups when you wake in the morning. Feeling a sense of success can help keep you motivated.
9. Set some benchmarks and performance goals – It can be exciting to see quantitative, measurable results. For example, walk or run a mile today and see how quick you can do it. Commit to sticking to your program for a month and then redo the mile to see how much you’ve improved. You can choose any type of performance gauge that will motivate you such as cycling, rowing, or swimming. You can do the same with strength moves such as pushups, pullups, squats etc. You can gauge your strength improvements in repetitions and/or resistance lifted.
10. Change your mindset – Stop asking yourself ‘Should I workout today?” because the answer to that question should always be yes unless you’re sick of course. You should always do something to move your body and focus on your health, but it doesn’t need to be a hard workout every time. Instead ask yourself “What should I do today to focus on my health and fitness” assuming that you will do something, and you just need to determine what that will be today. Likewise, stop thinking “I have to work out”, and change that to “I get to work out”, as not everyone has that ability. Remember to be grateful for your health and your ability to move your body. Don’t take that for granted!

Learning to Love your Body

Often people have very unrealistic expectations of the type of body they would like to achieve. They often refer to popular magazines for an image of their ideal body. But they are unaware of the fact that many of the models are 23 percent underweight and have been made-up for hours. Camera tricks are used and once the photos have been developed, the pictures are cropped, airbrushed and manipulated by computer to produce an unrealistic, unhealthy, and so-called “perfect” image. So be realistic with yourself!

“Even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.”  Cindy Crawford

It is important for you to examine your genetics and to understand that your body composition is partially dependent on your genetic breakdown. Approximately 40-50 percent of  how you look is genetically determined. You cannot change this! But you do have a choice. For example, if you are a pear shaped individual and everyone in your family is pear shaped, you can either choose to be an in-shape, lean, muscular pear shape or an out-of-shape, unhealthy pear shape, but you are always going to be a pear shape! So, examine your parents and your family to determine the types of expectations you can place upon yourself. But don’t get discouraged just because your entire family struggles with their health.  You still have at least 50% of the equation that you can control.  Just because your family is unhealthy doesn’t mean you are destined to struggle with your health for your entire life. Your behaviors will ultimately control your overall health and well-being. You deserve to look and feel your best and live life to the fullest!